Locking device for a container



April 1955 c. D. FALLERT 2,706,595

LOCKING DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Filed April 16, 1951 [N VENTOE Jun-"0203 F2 1; 27.

United States PatentO LOCKING DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Clifford D. Fallert, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Maryland Application April 16, 1951, Serial No. 221,191

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-45) This invention appertains to a locking device for a con tainer and more particularly to a cover locking device for an overlapping container cover especially the type constructed of corrugated fibreboard and solid fibreboard and similar material.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a cover locking device for a container which is simple and easy to o erate with one hand yet positive in lockmg.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container cover lock requiring no extra material or material other than that used in the container.

A still further object is to provide a cover lock for a container wherein the locking tab is completely concealed.

Another object is to provide a re-usable container lock whereby after many locking and unlocking operations, the lock will still be operative and secure.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

This locking device comprises a flap connected to the upper margin of the body section of a container, said flap being slit to provide a fold over tab having a locking ear thereon, said container having a cover member provided with a slot therein for receiving said flap, said cover member being provided with a depending skirt having an opening therein adapted to receive said foldover tab.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification andwherein like numerals and symbols refer to like parts Wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the container, as seen in locked position,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container, with the top member or lid in position to be lowered onto the bottom member or body section,

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective views of the container with the tab shown in various stages of partially closed position,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end of said container showing the tab more clearly, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated consists of a body section A, a cover section B, and a liner section C. The body section A comprises a bottom panel 1 and upstanding walls 2. Each of one pair of opposed upstanding walls 2 is provided with end tabs 3. Each of the other pair of walls 2 is provided with an upper marginal or inner flap 4.

The liner element C comprises a bottom panel 5 and a pair of opposed upstanding walls 6 and is used to reinforce the walls 2 and to provide a double bottom for the body section. A Obviously, this is an optional feature which can be omitted.

An upper marginal flap 7 is cut from each inner 'flap 4 and projects upwardly above the top of each end wall. Each upper marginal flap 7 is provided with a fold over tab 8. A bottom score 9 defines the lower edge of the fold over tab 8. Parallel to and above the bottom score 9 is an intermediate score 10 to facilitate the locking action of the fold over tab 8 when folded against the inner face of the cover skirt; however, this feature will be more fully explained hereinafter. The intermediate score 10 is optional and may be omitted if desired. The side edges of the fold over tab 8 are defined by scores 11 which in turn define the inner edges of locking cars 12. End edges 12a of the cars 12 are laterally or substantially right angularly disposed to the scores 11.

The cover member B has a top panel 13 and depending skirt portions 14. The cover member B is provided with elongated slots 15 which cooperate with the upper marginal flaps 7 of the body section A. Each of said slots 15 is in vertical alignment with its respective cooperating flap 7 so that the flap 7 may be inserted therethrough. Each of the depending skirt portions 14 is provided with an opening 16 adapted to permit passage of 'the fold over tab 8 therethrough. The inwardly folded upper marginal flaps or inner flaps 4 are slit to provide the upper marginal flap 7 of the locking system. When this style of container end wall construction is used, there is no Waste, since the flap 7 is formed from a component of the container. However, the lock construction described herein inwardly folded upper marginal flaps 4 as described above.

Any suitable container having an upper marginal flap 4 as described may be used. The body section A of the container is assembled in any desired manner with the upper marginal fiap 7 left in a vertical position as illustrated in Fig. 3. The cover member B having the depending skirt portions 14 with openings 16 therein is assembled and positioned above the cover member B as illustrated in Fig. 3. The cover member B is then lowered over the body portion A so that the upper marginal flaps 7 pass through the slots 15. The cover member B is then lowered further until the top panel 13 thereof is in contact with the upper edge of the upstanding walls 2, and the depending skirts 14 overlap the outer faces of the walls 2. Each upper marginal flap 7 is then bent outwardly and downwardly to a position in flap-wise relation with the outer face of the skirt 14 so that the fold over tab 8 is superimposed in alignment with the skirt opening 16. The fold over tab 8 is forced inwardly through the skirt opening 16.

In practice, the thumb is usually used to force the fold over tab 8 through the opening 16. As the fold over tab 8 is forced inwardly, the locking ears 12 break outwardly as the tab 8 passes through the opening 16 and contacts the outer surface of the body wall 2. As more inward and downward pressure is applied to the fold over tab 8, the bottom edge of the skirt 14 is sprung outwardly and away from the body wall 2. In so doing, a space is provided between the face of the skirt 14 and the outer face of the body wall 2. The fold over tab 8 is bent along the intermediate score 10 and pushed downwardly into the space to a position fiatwise against the inner face of the lower portion of the skirt 14. When the skirt is released, it snaps back and holds the upper marginal flap 7 immovably against the outer face of the skirt 14, thereby securely holding the cover member B on the body section A by the overlapping of the upper marginal flap 7 with the upper edge of the skirt 14. When the fold over tab 8 is in the locked position, the locking cars 12 are in coplanar relation with the fold over tab 8. The end edges of the locking ears 12 engage the inner margin of the skirt opening 16 thereby providing a snugly fitting locking action. Thus, any unlocking and subsequent return of the tab 8 through the skirt opening 16 is prevented.

The fold over tab 8 and locking ears 12 do not serve to directly resist any force attempting to unsecure the lid, but the fold over tab 8 does serve directly to hold the upper marginal flap 7 snugly in secure fiatwise relation to the outer face of the skirt 14. However, by so holding the upper marginal flap 7, the entire width of the flap 7 is brought into play to resist any force attempting to remove the lid without first unlocking the fold over tab 8. Thus, by providing a relatively small, easy to operate fold over tab 8 and cars 12 the bearing surface of a much larger flap 7 is utilized to prevent removal of the lid or cover member B. To unlock the container lid, the locking procedure set out above is reversed. Namely, the lower edge of the skirt 14 is sprung outwardly, and the :old over tab 8 and locking ears 12 are forced upwardly hrough the skirt opening 16.

What I claim is:

A container comprising a rectangular body having upight side walls, and a rectangular shaped cover member iaving a deformable depending rectangular shaped marginal skirt overlapping and snugly fitting upon the outer faces of upper portions of the side walls of the body, the JOdY having two similar substantially rectangular shaped integral extension flaps foldably connected to opposite upper edge portions of two opposing walls of the body, the cover having two elongated slots in opposite edge portions thereof adjoining upper edge portions of said skirt, said flaps each extending vertically through one of said slots in the cover member and thence downwardly against the outer face of the adjoining side of said skirt, and the depending skirt of the cover being provided in opposing walls intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof with two oppositely disposed similar elongate horizontally extending rectangularly shaped openings, each of said openings extending in parallel spaced relation to one of said slots, and each opening being of less length than the length of said slots and located substantially in vertical alignment with the central part of one of the slots, said body flaps each being slit inwardly of its marginal edges to provide a locking tab in superposed relation with one of said horizontal openings in the skirt, said tabs each being of general rectangular shape and being foldable on a line adjacent the outer marginal portion of the free end of one of the body flaps, said fold line being in substantial alignment with the lower edge of the adjacent opening in the skirt, the free end portion of each tab being disposed uppermost reversely to the downwardly directed free end portion of the body flap, said locking tabs each having inwardly foldable side ex tensions, the locking tabs each being disposed to extend through one of said horizontal openings in the skirt of the cover in fiatwise contacting relation between one side wall of the body and one side wall of the skirt, with the side extensions of the tabs fitting back of portions of the skirt bordering the horizontally extending opening therein and with inner end edges of the side extensions of the tab engaging said portions of the skirt bordering the horizontal opening therein and thereby locking the cover to the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,047 Scotcher May 28, 1929 30 2,004,218 Ratcliff June 11, 1935 2,155,530 Crook Apr. 25, 1939 2,393,356 Fallert Jan. 22, 1946 2,638,262 Mulnix May 12, 1953 25 FOREIGN PATENTS 398,044 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES Catalogue, Modern Fruit Packing, page 10, Fruit 30 Produce Packing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. Copyright 

